Monday, March 8, 2010

Paleo Diet Q & A - Snails

Q:Do you know if they ate snails in the paleo times? Thank you, Geha

A:Hi Geha,

The Paleolithic era stands for the "Old Stone Age" (Paleo means old; lithic means stone) and extended from 2.6 million years ago with the appearance of the first crude stone tools until the beginning of agriculture 10,000 years ago. During this period, it is estimated that at least 20 species of hominins (upright walking apes) existed1. Because all hominins were omnivorous opportunists2, land snails were almost certainly consumed on an occasional basis throughout hominin evolutionary history.

However, having said this, the first direct evidence for land snail consumption does not appear in the fossil record until 31,000 years ago at the Mumba-Hohle site on the shores of Lake Eyasi in East Africa3, 4. The earliest archaeological evidence for land snail consumption in the Middle East has been dated to 22,000 to 23,000 years ago at the Kvar ‘Aqil site near Beirut, Lebanon3. The hominin that would have eaten these snails was our own species, Homo sapiens. Archaeologists interpret that snails were eaten because their shells were found in huge heaps called middens, and frequently were charred from being cooked5. Snail middens dating from 20,000 to 10,000 years ago and from 10,000 to 6,000 years ago are common in lands close to and surrounding the Mediterranean Sea3, 5. The five most commonly consumed species of snails (Helix aspera, Helix melanostoma, Leucochroa candissima, Helicella setifensis, and Otala species) still occur in the Mediterranean region today.

If you don’t know, snail meat is considered a delicacy worldwide and is most commonly known from its French term, "escargot," an appetizer typically cooked in a sauce of butter, garlic and parsley6. Although three species of snails (Helix aspera, Helix pomatia) and the African snail (Achatina fulica) are most commonly consumed6, a large variety of snail species are eaten worldwide, depending upon location and availability. The cost of 1 kg of prepared snail meat is expensive and fluctuates between $5 - $137. Snail meat, like fish, is high in protein and low in fat, and contains significant amounts of iron (see Table below). Give escargot a try, it’s a great Paleo appetizer.

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